6 Essential Questions you need to ask when Evaluating IT Service Providers

Choosing an IT Service Provider is kind of a big deal. If you’re in charge of making the decision, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what you need to ask to make sure that you’re making the best possible decision for your organization.

Here are some of the most important questions that you should be asking during evaluation and why!

Why this matters: you need a provider that not only understands technology as a whole, but understands the compliance regulations and specific software of your industry. If the provider already has a grasp on what your industry challenges are, it makes the transition much easier!

Why this matters: you can’t sit on the phone for hours whenever your network is down or your computer is running slowly. Downtime equals lost revenue. You’ll need to look for clear, reasonable response times. Similarly, you need to gauge the provider’s capacity for responding to multiple clients at once.

Why this matters: As our Director of Business Development, Ted, says: “You know how you judge a restaurant based on the restrooms? The same is true for IT companies, you need to make sure that you know everything you can about their environment.”

It’s so important to be thorough in your research. Ask the provider if they would be open to offering your team a tour of their facilities. If you do a tour, look at the scale and setup of the office, and the provider’s confidence in the business environment they’ve created. Transparency is key. Also notice whether or not the staff is friendly and approachable, and appear to be attending to their duties efficiently.

Why this matters: many providers only offer reactive support for users. This leaves your organization’s data unprotected and vulnerable to attack. Look for proactive services and options to ensure the safety and security of your business’ data, like health checks, patching, remote monitoring, etc.

Why this matters: this one may surprise you, but hear us out. Your organization needs to have a solid rapport with your IT provider in order for the relationship to work. Communication and collaboration develops over time, and is hard to build when the turnover rate is high.

Why this matters: you want people working with you that have a passion for technology. Look for evidence of training and credentials beyond the scope of the position.